1. Field of Invention
The present disclosure is a lightweight, absorbent transporter that is portable and disposable and, most preferably, has an anti-hypothermia structure to reduce the loss of the person's body heat during transport. The transporter provides sufficient strength, durability, and insulation to support the weight of an injured soldier or patient and reduce the risk of hypothermia. Methods of using such a transporter are also provided.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pieces of heavy cloth, such as canvas or similar materials, and leather attached to wood or metal poles have long been used as litters and stretchers for transporting injured soldiers and patients in emergency situations. For purposes of this application, “litters” and “stretchers” are used interchangeably to indicate a transport device to carry injured soldiers or patients. In medical settings, litters and stretchers are used to transport patients from the site of injury to a medical care facility, or to a vehicle, such as an ambulance or helicopter, that will take the injured patient to a medical care facility. Litters can also be used to for shorter transport needs, such as transfers from a stationary bed or cot to another area within the medical center.
Hypothermia, or loss of body heat, can be a problem when transporting injured soldiers or patients. Conventional litters that are made of a piece of strong cloth (such as canvas) or leather stretched between poles, provide no top cover on the person being transported to prevent loss of body heat, nor is the litter material able to sufficiently reduce additional loss of body heat from the underside of the patient's body through the litter itself. Significant body heat still can be lost on a conventional stretcher even when blankets are placed on the patient, because the blankets are not connected to or secured to the transporter. Hypothermia is a particular concern when transporting injured soldiers or patients in cold environments, or in windy, wet conditions, but hypothermia can also cause significant morbidity, and even mortality, in response to loss of blood from injury or the body's normal physiological responses to severe injury.
Another problem with conventional litters is that such litters, when large and strong enough to support and carry an injured soldier or patient, are too heavy and difficult to be carried by one soldier. Conventional litters with material stretched between two poles must be lifted for transport, and can not be dragged along the terrain by a single person since the injured soldier and gear are too heavy to effect transport, especially in battlefield conditions.
In addition, blood or body fluids, such as urine, feces or emesis, from an injured soldier or patient will contaminate the stretcher and thus infect the injured soldier or patient or any other person placed on the stretcher. Also, blood and/or body fluids that contact conventional stretchers can make the top surface of the stretcher slippery, increasing the risk that the person may shift or even fall off of the litter during transport, particularly during transport in rugged terrain or under battlefield conditions. Thus, in such instances, the stretcher-bearers must move slowly to avoid causing further injury, thereby exposing the patient to environmental conditions or even battlefield hazards for a longer time.
Transportation vehicles that take the injured soldier or patient to a medical care facility, such as by helicopter, boat, or automobile, may expose the injured soldier or patient to forceful winds because of the movement of the vehicle. In such conditions, placing a soldier or patient on a litter and tucking a blanket around the patient does not provide a reliable way to secure the patient and keep him warm, since the blanket may loosen or even fall because of the wind generated by the vehicle's movement. In addition, if the patient is bleeding or has an open wound, infectious material may be transferred to the other injury sites, to the transport carriers, or even to other soldiers or patients being transported in the same vehicle.
Therefore, there exists a need for a lightweight, portable transporter that has an anti-hypothermia structure to reduce the loss of the person's body heat during transport, and can absorb blood or other body fluids from the person being carried. In addition, the transporter should be foldable to reduce size for efficient storage and shipping before use.